Moving with fish or any pet can be tricky but when you have a horse, it’s a bit more complicated than just putting him in a trailer and letting him loose in the field once you arrive. You’ll need to plan carefully, including a visit to the vet before the trip, possibly arranging transportation months in advance and buying insurance. After the move, you should keep an eye on your horse for signs of stress or illness and give him time to settle in.
If moving your horse feels like a big task don’t worry! We’ve broken it down into easy steps so you can prepare in advance and make the move as smooth as possible.
Preparing Before You Move
If you’re not planning to board your horse, your new home should have a paddock and pasture with secure, well-kept fencing. It’s important to fix any fencing issues before transporting your horse, according to Horseracingsense.com.
The same goes for the stalls. Each stall should be spacious enough for your horse to lie down and move comfortably. A typical stall size is 12 feet by 12 feet. Don’t forget to check things like ceiling height, doorway size, windows, natural lighting and access to water and electricity. If the stalls or other facilities need improvements, make sure to handle that before moving your horse.
Schedule a Vet Visit & Consider Insurance
Before the move, it’s important to schedule an appointment with your horse’s veterinarian. During the visit, ask about your horse’s overall health, vaccinations and get a Coggins test which checks for equine infectious anemia (EIA). This test is often required if your horse will be around other horses. Also, check with the transport company for any additional health requirements they may have before the exam.
It’s a good idea to get insurance for your horse in case something happens during transport. Equine insurance typically costs between $400 and $1,000, depending on the coverage and your horse’s value. Once you pay the deductible, the insurance can help cover medical treatments, surgeries or even reimburse you for the horse’s value if something unfortunate happens during the move.
Important Things to Keep in Mind When Transporting a Horse
As a horse owner, you know that horses are sensitive animals that can get scared easily and are prone to health issues like colic. The stress of moving can weaken their immune system, making these problems more likely. To help reduce your horse’s stress, spend a few weeks (or even better, months) before the move getting him used to the process. Practice calmly loading and unloading him from a trailer and ensure he’s comfortable wearing leg protection for the journey. This preparation can make the trip less stressful for both of you.
Consider Your Horse’s Sleep & Motion Sickness
Horses sleep in short bursts, unlike humans who sleep in longer periods. This can affect how well they handle transportation. Additionally, horses can’t throw up if they get motion sickness which can make traveling harder for them. When deciding how to move your horse, keep these factors in mind, along with the distance to your new location. This will help you choose the best and safest way to transport your horse.
How to Transport Your Horse
There are two main ways to move your horse: by air or by trailer. If you have your own trailer and aren’t moving far, you can transport your horse yourself. But if it’s a long-distance move, it’s safer to hire a professional transport service. Below are the pros and cons of each method:
Air Transport
Flying your horse to your new home has two key benefits compared to using a trailer. First, it’s much faster and second, flights are usually smooth enough for a horse to sleep during the trip. However, flying is quite expensive, and flight options may be limited. For a domestic one-way flight, you can expect to pay between $2,000 and $10,000, depending on the destination and care provided. International flights can range from $10,000 to $20,000.
Air Transport Options & Costs
Interestingly, the cost of flying your horse depends on the “class” of travel. Your horse can fly first class in a private stall, second class in a stall shared with one other horse or third class with two other horses. The stall can be built into the plane or loaded onto a pallet and lifted into the aircraft. By law, someone must travel with the horse which could be you or someone from the transport company. If you travel with your horse, you’ll need to bring your own food, drinks and entertainment.
Several companies offer air transport for horses. Apollo Equine uses FedEx for domestic flights, while Tex Sutton Equine Air Transportation operates its own planes with limited routes. For example, a Tex Sutton flight between Los Angeles and Houston may only happen a few times a year, often scheduled around horse events or races.
Trailer Transport
Using a trailer to move your horse is much cheaper than flying. According to uShip, it costs around $2.55 per mile for trips under 100 miles and about $1.10 per mile for trips under 1,000 miles. However, the downside is that as the trailer moves—stopping, turning and changing speeds—your horse has to constantly adjust his balance, making it hard for him to rest or sleep. To help with this, you’ll need to make frequent stops so your horse can relax.
Since trailer travel takes longer, it’s often best to hire an experienced transport company. These companies usually pick up your horse and may pick up and drop off other horses along the way. Be sure to choose a company that specializes in horse transport rather than a general pet transport service.
Finding Reputable Horse Transporters
You can also use services like uShip to find reliable horse transporters but you’ll need to carefully vet them. Make sure to read reviews and look out for warning signs such as not requiring a health certificate for your horse or asking for payment through methods like Western Union, Venmo or Zelle, which could be risky.
Shipping by Sea
Shipping your horse by sea isn’t a practical option unless you’re moving overseas and even then, it’s not common. Most maritime companies don’t transport horses and for good reason. Horses can get seasick and there’s no medication to prevent nausea. Since they can’t vomit, they could also suffer from colic.
On top of that, sea travel takes much longer and your horse would need to stay in his stall the entire trip. For your horse’s well-being, it’s best to spend the extra money and opt for air transportation instead.
Helping Your Horse Adjust After the Move
When your horse arrives, let him loose in the paddock and watch how he moves. If you notice any signs of lameness, injury or distress, contact a veterinarian immediately. Stress can also cause a loss of appetite, so keep an eye on his eating habits. If your horse shows disinterest in food or starts losing weight, it’s important to have a vet check him out.
Another common issue is that your horse may stop drinking water if he doesn’t like the taste of the water at your new place. Watch for signs of dehydration such as low energy, red mucous membranes, skin tenting, excessive sweating, a fast heart rate or dark urine. If you see any of these symptoms, call a vet right away. To encourage your horse to drink, you can try adding flavored electrolyte powder to the water.
Smooth Moving for You & Your Horse
For most horses, the moving process goes smoothly and they settle into their new home without much difficulty. However, transporting a horse requires careful planning and attention to help them adjust. This is on top of the stress of packing and moving your own belongings. To make things easier, consider hiring professional movers if you own a horse. A moving company can handle packing, transporting and unloading your belongings at your new home. With Chicago Movers Near Me, you get a fully licensed and affordable moving service. Chicago Movers Near Me company are reliable and trustworthy, giving you peace of mind so you can focus on safely getting your horse to your new home.
